From: paul gage
LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD APRIL 20, 2023
Hello Dear Saints,
I use Psalm 72:17-19 as a greeting to those living in the Kingdom of God.
“His name shall endure forever; his name shall be continued as long as the sun; and men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed. 18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. 19 And blessed be his glorious name forever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen.”
That is the day we long for, hope for, and pray for, the day when the whole earth will be filled with God’s Glory. Is that the day we are living for? I was drawn back to Brother Joseph Luff’s book, “The Old Jerusalem Gospel,” where in chapter three, “The Modern Stumbling Stone,” he speaks of the stumbling stones that Jesus faced with those who opposed him, of Joseph Smith Jr. and those who opposed him, and what some of the modern day stumbling stones are for those truly desire for the kingdom and will of God be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Keep in mind that Brother Luff wrote his book in 1903 and here we are 120 years later in 2023 and dealing with the same things that have been dealt with from the Garden of Eden. Did you catch that, 120 years? Did the name, Noah come up when you read 120 years? Brother Luffs points out, “Noah’s proclamation was as divine and genuine as God could authorize, yet it convinced not a single soul outside his own family that boarded the Ark. I’m sure we can all ask ourselves, at times, “Am I on the Solid Rock, or am I a stumbling stone to the Rock?”
Doctrine and Covenants 34:6 says, a, Keep all the commandments and covenants by which ye are bound, and I will cause the heavens to shake for your good; and Satan shall tremble; and Zion shall rejoice upon the hills and flourish; and Israel shall be saved in mine own due time. b And by the keys which I have given shall they be led and no more be confounded at all. c Lift up your hearts, and be glad; your redemption draweth nigh. d Fear not, little flock; the kingdom is yours until I come. Behold, I come quickly. Even so. Amen.
Doctrine and Covenants 77:4 states; a Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father has in his own hands and prepared for you; and ye cannot bear all things now; b nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours, and the blessings thereof are yours; and the riches of eternity are yours. c And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even a hundredfold, yea, more; d wherefore, do the things which I have commanded you, saith your Redeemer, even the Son Ahman, who prepareth all things before he taketh you; for ye are the church of the Firstborn, and he will take you up in the cloud and appoint every man his portion. e And he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all things. Amen.
The world today is just as much, or more a stumbling stone to those living in the Kingdom of God, as ever before. Our task and challenge is to know the stumbling stones and how to deal with them so we will be prepared when Jesus comes in His Glory.
Notes: Brother Luff’s book is available on Centerplace.org if you don’t have a copy.
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God be with you
Paul Gage
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